Toy



March 31, 1942. R, A, STONE 2,277,672

TOY

FilQd Feb. 14, 1941 INVENTOR. RALPH A- STONE BY f/' Tm? A TTOK/VE'YS".

Patented Mar. 31, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOY Ralph A. Stone, Cleveland, Ohio Application February 14, 1941, Serial No. 378,903

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a toy configured in the form of an animal and designed to produce a grotesquely animated appearance when a mag: net is brought within a field of attraction or repulsion of certain parts thereof.

One of the objects of the invention resides in the provision of a toy animal or similar figure embodying one or more movable parts which are organized when actuated to produce ridiculous attitudes, comical facial expressions and movements in simulation of antics characteristic .of the animal.

Another object of the invention is to construct a toy having certain. movable parts thereon which are adapted to be attracted or repelled in an electrostatic field independent of certain other movable parts of the toy.

Further objects of the invention reside in the provision of a toy which is economic of manufacture, simple of construction and susceptible of diversified application and use.

Other objects and advantages more or less ancillary to the foregoing and the manner in which all the various objects are realized will appear in the following description, which considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, sets forth the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 showing the toy in an actuated position; and

Fig, 3 is a sectional view of the head of the toy animal showing the disposition of the magnet and the construction of the articulated parts therein.

Referring to Fig. 1, the toy embodies a base Hi, having a stanchion or frame ll mounted I thereon which is preferably formed from a strand of Wire, bent to define an arch i2 having a loop 53 in the central arcuate portion thereof.

The frame is provided to support a bar Hi formed with an eye IS in the central portion thereof, which is interengaged with the loop i3 an eye l8 formed in the end of the bar l4 and are constructed for independent swinging movement relative to each other and relative to the plane of the major axis of the bar. Concealed within the lower portion of the head It there is a bar or bar magnet I9 designed to effect the movement of the head when a suitable foreign body is brought within its magnetic field. The portion of the figure simulating the horses neck is formed with a recess 20 in the end wall thereof to facilitate a free unobstructed movement of the head and jaw. A

The opposed end of the bar I4 is constructed with a loop 2i having an arm 22 pivotally mounted therein. The arm 22 is provided with a pair of iron weights 23 and 24 adapted to counterbalance the head. jaw and neck of the figure and sustain the rod or beam M in a horizontal position, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Upon the outer end of the arm 22 there is an ornament such as the feather 25 which in conjunction with the weight 24 or the disposition of the weights 23 and 24 maintains the arm in a balanced horizontal position. The feather represents the tail of the figure and may be moved when a magnet is brought within the magnetic field of the weight 23.

As shown in Fig. 2, a bar magnet 26, concealed within a foreign body such as the nut 21, will when brought within the magnetic field of the bar l9 attract or repulse the bar and thus cause the oscillation of the rod l4 and the pivotal movement of the head upon their respective fulcrums. Likewise, when the magnet 26 is brought within the vicinity of the weight 23 the rod M will be oscillated about its fulcrum while the arm 22 is simultaneously rocked in a plane substantially parallel to the axis thereof.

In operation when the magnet 26 is moved within the magnetic field of attraction of the bar l9, say into position below and forward the nose of the horse, the rod M will dip and swing slowly in the direction of the magnet. Simultaneously the head will sway slowly forward as though the horse were cautiously sniiiing the nut until the distance between the parts is sufficiently foreshortened to cause a sudden movement or lurch of the head towards the magnet, thus producing an animated appearance as though the horse were snapping at the nut. When the head contacts the nut the pendulously supported jaw I1 is free to swing or hang in gaping relation with the head and thus produce a ludicrous though realistically animated appearance of the figure. Obviously when the magnet 26 is turned end for end the bar l9 will be repclled and the head will swing away as though the horse would have nothing of the profi'erecl morsel.

As contemplated herein the marionette may be made from a material such as felt, fiber or paiper-mach which is susceptible of being formed to conceal the bar I!) Without undue insulation or as an alternate embodiment, the magnet and/0r magnetic bar 19 may be omitted and the figure formed from a light dielectric substance embodying a pivotal member which may be attracted or repelled in an electrostatic field.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth it is to be understood that various forms or types of marionettes or other figures may be substituted for the foregoing figure and various other arrangements of parts thereof may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

1 claim:

l. A magnetic toy embodying a stationary frame, a bar mounted for universal movement thereon, a plurality of members pivotally mounted on one end of said bar, a magnet in one of said members, and magnetic means movable beneath said members to attract or repulse the member having the magnet therein.

2. A toy comprising a stationary frame, a bar having the central portion thereof pivotally mounted upon saidframe, a plurality of members pivotally mounted upon one end of said bar, a magnet disposed in one of said members, a. counterweight mounted upon the opposed end of said bar, and means movable beneath said members to attract the magnetic member and actuate said bar relative to said frame.

3. A magnetic toy embodying a stationary frame, a bar pivotally suspended therefrom, a

marionette on one end of said bar, a movable I member thereon, a magnet in said movable member, a counterweight on the opposed end of said bar, and magnetic means for actuating said marionette and the movable member therein.

4. A magnetic toy embodying a stationary frame, a bar pivotally suspended therefrom, an animal's head pivoted on one end of said bar, a magnet therein, a jaw pivoted upon said bar, an arm pivoted upon the opposed end of said bar, iron weights thereon, arranged to counterbal ance said head and counterbalance each other, an ornament on said arm, and magnetic means for moving said head away from said jaw and moving said arm from its counterbalanced position.

5. A toy embodying a stationary frame, a bar pivotally mounted thereon, a marionette formed of a dielectric substance mounted on one end of said bar, a counterweight on the other end of said bar, a pivotal member constituting a portion of said marionette, a metallic member therein and an electric exciter movable in relation to said pivotal member to effect the movement thereof when the metallic member is within the electric field of said exciter.

6. A toy embodying a stationary frame, a bar pivotally supported thereon, a marionette on said bar comprising a plurality of members, one of the members of the marionette being aifixed to said bar, a second member of the marionette being movable in relation to the first named member; a third member of the marionette being movable in relation to the first and second named members, a magnetically responsive element in one of the movable members, a weight on said bar for counterbalancing said marionette and magnetic means for actuating said magnetically responsive element.

RALPH A. STONE. 

